CORNWALL, Ontario, Nov. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Members of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE), a Component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), who work for the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority (GLPA), are in a legal strike position as of November 18, 2019, at 6 p.m.
PSAC/UCTE Local 00057, are the dispatchers and office staff who work in Cornwall and have been without a contract since June 30, 2016. The Local is comprised of 13 workers, 10 dispatchers and 3 office staff, who are integral to the operation of the seaway and the millions in economic trade that flow through it.
“These workers are vital to the safe operations of trade shipments through our Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River; which are critical for our regional and national economies,” says Sharon DeSousa, PSAC Ontario Regional Executive Vice-President. “We need a fair contract that respects this important work.”
This round of bargaining has been extremely difficult due to the concessions demanded by the employer. In an attempt to reach a fair contract, we have undergone conciliation and have since been negotiating with the assistance of a mediator.
“The waterway is a vital shipping lane and will be negatively impacted by a labour disruption,” states Martin Mika, UCTE Regional Vice President for Ontario. “We are very close to achieving a fair deal and could resolve the situation quickly if the employer addresses our members issues.”
A strike vote was held in October with unanimous support to take strike action by the workers. We are urging Transport Canada to look into the state of negotiations and end this strike as soon as possible.
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Lino Vieira, Political Communications Officer, vieiral@psac-afpc.com or 416-577-0238
Lira Buschman, Communications & Special Projects, buschml@psac-afpc.com or 613-558-4003